Barbara O. Rothbaum

Can behavior be influenced by the virtual world?

Barbara Olasov Rothbaum, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the application of virtual reality to the treatment of psychological disorders. She is professor of psychiatry and the associate vice chair of clinical research at the Emory University School of Medicine. She is also director of the Emory Veterans Program and the Trauma and Emory Anxiety Recovery Program and specializes in research on the treatment of individuals with anxiety disorders, particularly focusing on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder.

As the Paul A. Janssen Chair in Neuropsychopharmacology, Rothbaum helps advance the leadership position of Emory University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the study of neuropharmacological drugs and their effects on the human brain and behavior. Currently, she serves on the scientific advisory boards for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the National Center for PTSD, and McLean Hospital.

Rothbaum has authored over 275 scientific papers and chapters, and published and edited nine books on the treatment of PTSD and anxiety. She received the Diplomate in Behavioral Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology and is a past president of the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS). She is a fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) and the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Division of Trauma Psychology In 2010, together with her collaborating team, she was presented the “Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Practice of Trauma Psychology” and the Robert S. Laufer Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement from ISTSS.

Previously, Rothbaum was a member of the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Study on Assessment of Ongoing Efforts in the Treatment of PTSD. She is currently leading the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, which is part of the National Warrior Care Network.

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